Ragout of Cipollini Onions with Tomato, Cinnamon, and Cumin

Ingredients

• 2  bay leaves 
• 0.3 teaspoon pepper black divided freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar 
• 1 stick cinnamon (2-inch)
• 2 pounds cipollini onions peeled
• 0.3 cup currants dried
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves fresh chopped
• 2  garlic clove chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander 
• 0.3 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 2 tablespoons orange juice fresh
• 1 strip orange zest (3-inch)
• 0.5 teaspoon salt divided
• 3  thyme sprigs 
• 1.3 pounds tomatoes cut in half crosswise ( 3 large)
• 1 cup vegetable stock 

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• sieve
• blender
• baking pan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 37
2. Sprinkle garlic evenly in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange tomato halves, cut sides down, over garlic.
3. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; lightly spray tomato halves with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 375 for 55 minutes or until tender.
5. Remove from oven; cool in dish.
6. Place tomato mixture in a blender or food processor, reserving liquid in baking dish. Process tomato mixture until smooth; strain through a sieve into a large bowl. Discard solids.
7. Add reserved liquid to bowl.
8. Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.
9. Add onions, and saut for 8 minutes.
10. Remove onions from pan.
11. Add coriander, cumin, and cinnamon to pan, and saut for 1 minute.
12. Add onions, pureed tomato mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, broth, and next 4 ingredients (broth through orange rind) to pan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and cook for 30 minutes or until onions are tender and sauce is thick, stirring occasionally.
13. Remove from heat, and stir in orange juice and sugar.
14. Remove cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and orange rind.
15. Sprinkle with cilantro.